Balchunas Trial Continues Today in Starke Circuit Court

Alan Balchunas of Monterey is on trial this week facing charges of Domestic Battery and Strangulation. He allegedly battered and strangled his ex-wife Pamela Balchunas at her home in Monterey.

Pamela Balchunas testified yesterday that she and Alan Balchunas had an argument about rounding up extension cords to run from the house to her sister’s home that had electricity. The area had been suffering from a power outage after a severe storm and while her sister had power, she did not. She stated that she had asked Balchunas for help and he refused. An argument ensued and he reportedly barged into the home, put her into a headlock and beat the left side of her face and head. The struggle started in the kitchen and continued into the living room. She testified that he then put his hands around her throat and started to choke her. She said she couldn’t breathe and her eyesight was failing, but she knew the baseball bat was by the front door she reached for the bat and hit him in the head with it. His grip reportedly got tighter and she hit him again. The second blow caused him to stumble back into a chair and started bleeding. She then left the residence and went to her mother’s house.

Police arrived on scene and officer Jeremiah Patrick from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department testified that when he saw Pamela Balchunas, she was covered in blood. He stated that it was Alan Balchunas’ blood that covered her body. He arrested Alan Balchunas and took him to IU Health Starke Hospital and later arrested Pamela Balchunas on battery charges.

Pamela Balchunas also told the jury that her victim’s statement was different that what she told police because she was coerced to write a different story while incarcerated. Through the plumbing system in the jail and vents, she testified that Alan Balchunas was giving an inmate in the female holding block instructions on what to write so they wouldn’t get into trouble.

Alan Balchunas did not take the stand yesterday but in his attorney’s opening statements, Richard Ballard indicated that it was Pamela, not Alan, who truly performed the act of battery.

The state called four witnesses and the defense rested without calling any witnesses to the stand. Final arguments and jury instructions will be given this morning at 10:00 a.m. and the jury is expected to begin deliberations this afternoon.